Everyone knew that my husband loved me deeply.

As the head of one of Alverton's most prominent families, even after years of marriage without kids and loads of rumours doing the rounds in our social circle, he never once showed any concern—as long as I was safe and happy.

After three years of marriage, I endured countless egg retrieval procedures and finally succeeded in IVF this year, conceiving triplets.

But just as I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of our children, I overheard him speaking with his secretary outside the study.

“Mrs. Ellison is already six months pregnant. If she finds out that these three eggs belong to Miss Krystal and not her, she might not be able to handle it.”

My husband’s expression hardened, and he gave the secretary a cold glance. “Then don’t let her find out.”

"I've been getting things ready for years. I even crushed the birth control pills and mixed them into her milk every night before she went to bed. I also bribed the hospital doctors to make her believe she was infertile, so she agreed to undergo IVF willingly."

"Krystal loves children so much, but I couldn't bear to see her in pain during childbirth. Alissa has been doing my wife's job for years now. Helping Krystal have children is what she should do. If anything happens to the child, I'll take her life!"

I struggled to suppress the trembling in my body and sent a message to my older brother abroad, [Brother, help me. I need to leave Preston.]

——

The voices inside the room continued.

“But Mrs. Ellison endured so much to conceive these triplets. Look how happy she’s been since she became pregnant. If anything goes wrong and she finds out, it would be a devastating blow to her.”

Preston Ellison lit a cigarette. The light from the cigarette illuminated his face, and I could barely make out his expression.

"From the start, I married Alissa for her womb. She's enjoyed the wealth and prestige of the Ellison family for years. Now it's her turn to return the favour."

"Besides, once the children come out of her womb, they'll call her mother immediately. She doesn't lose out on anything in the end..."

I couldn't bear to listen anymore and stumbled out of the study.

As I passed by the nursery door, I found myself drawn in, my steps unsteady.

Since it was in vitro fertilization, I had known the gender of the three children in her womb from the start.

Two boys and one girl.

Looking at the two blue cribs and one pink crib in front of me, along with the formula, diapers, and various small toys already prepared on the nearby cabinet, tears finally welled up in my eyes and began to fall.

I was six months pregnant at that time. But because it was triplets, my belly was enormous, making even basic tasks like walking and sleeping incredibly difficult.

But even so, every single item in this nursery was carefully arranged by me.

Now, looking at every item I had carefully selected, I felt nothing but bitter irony.

The triplets in my womb were not my children. How ridiculous.

Just then, my older brother called after receiving a message. “What’s wrong, Alissa? Has your relationship with Preston worsened? But, from what I get, you’re getting pregnant now, right?”

I wanted to say something, but when I opened my mouth, my voice choked up.

Yes, Preston had always been very kind to me. In the elite circles of Alverton, there was even a saying about him.

"Preston Ellison is pretty ruthless and decisive when it comes to business, his only weak spot is his wife."

After five years together and three years of marriage, I had spent eight years immersed in the love Preston had given me.

If I hadn't just overheard his conversation with his secretary, I wouldn't have believed it myself—that all of this was a lie.

I remained silent for a long time, but my brother on the other end of the line seemed to sense my emotions. 

After a moment of hesitation, he spoke softly, “If you don’t want the child, I’ll arrange for you to have an abortion at the hospital.”

“I’ll come back to pick you up the day after tomorrow. Don’t worry, I will always be by your side no matter what.”

After the call ended, my gaze fell on the pregnancy diary on the small desk.

I didn't even open it; I just glanced at the cover, but my knees gave way. I even had to steady myself against the crib to stay upright, preventing myself from collapsing to the floor.

Just then, perhaps noticing the light in the nursery was on, Preston’s voice echoed in my ears. “Alissa? Why aren’t you asleep yet? What are you doing in the nursery so late at night?”

I bit my lower lip tightly, struggling to control the tremble in my voice. “The babies are moving around a lot in my belly, making me can’t sleep, so I came to see if there’s anything else we need to prepare.”

Preston walked over to me, gently wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and led me back to the bedroom.

“These little troublemakers. They’re not even out yet and already causing trouble for their mommy. Once they come out, I should discipline them immediately."

Preston’s gaze fell on my pregnant belly, his handsome eyes filled with tenderness, and his tone was brimming with affection.

If I hadn't heard what he said earlier in the study, I would have been completely convinced that he loved me, and therefore loved our children as well.

But now, I only felt utterly ridiculous.

He loved the children, not because of me, but because of Krystal.

Preston didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. He helped me to the bedside, and the tenderness in his eyes was just like every day of the past eight years.

I lowered my eyes, avoiding the tenderness in his gaze.

"I'm tired. Let's go to sleep, Preston."

The next morning, Preston accompanied me to the Ellison Group’s private hospital for a check-up.

As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, we saw Krystal just coming out of a doctor's office.

Upon seeing Krystal, Preston furrowed his brows slightly. "Why are you here alone? Are you feeling unwell?"

Preston's concern was evident in his tone.

Krystal smiled slightly, seeming to appreciate Preston's concern. 

"I've been feeling palpitations lately. You know my heart hasn't been good since I was a child. Since I had some free time today, I thought I'd come to the hospital for a check-up."

“What about you, Preston? Did you bring Alissa for her prenatal checkup? Or is Alissa feeling unwell?”

I did not know if it was just my imagination, but I always felt like there was a hint of provocation in Krystal's gaze toward me.

I curved my lips slightly and spoke before Preston could, "Nothing serious. I've had a bit of trouble sleeping recently, and Preston was worried, so he insisted on coming with me to the hospital."

"I wonder who the baby takes after. It's been hanging around in my stomach all day. Maybe there's something wrong with the genes."

As soon as I finished speaking, the expressions of the two people beside me changed simultaneously. 

Preston gently wrapped his arm around my shoulders as he changed the subject, “What nonsense are you talking about? This is our child. What could possibly be wrong with the genes?”

“Alright, the doctor has been waiting for a long time. Let’s go in first.”

While I was having the examination, Preston patted my head to comfort me before stepping out to wait for me.

In the past, I wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong with his actions. After all, he couldn't do much in the examination room.

But now, watching Preston leave, I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

After finishing the examination, I stepped outside and saw that there was indeed no one outside the clinic.

I walked around the corridor and finally found Krystal and Preston in the stairwell.

Krystal’s beautiful brows were slightly furrowed, her face brimming with dissatisfaction.

“You were so gentle with her just now. You wouldn’t have fallen for her, would you?”

Preston embraced her patiently, gently smoothing her forehead with his hand.

"How's that even possible? She's pregnant with our child. I have to be nice to her, so she doesn't get suspicious."

"She’s nothing compared to you. Don't let it upset you, okay?"

I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. My legs felt weak as I returned to the bench outside the clinic and waited, the words Preston had just spoken echoing endlessly in my mind.

“She’s nothing compared to you.”

In his eyes, the woman he had shared a bed with for three years was no more attractive than his love interest, Krystal.

It seemed as if Krystal's unhappiness was the real issue for him.

“Is the checkup done? I just went to the restroom. I’ll go ask the doctor if the results are ready.”

Preston’s voice snapped me back to reality. I nodded and watched him walk into the doctor’s office.

A moment later, Preston emerged with a frown, crouching down in front of me so that our eyes were on the same level.

"Alissa, the doctor said your emotions have been fluctuating a lot recently, and the baby's heartbeat is a bit irregular. You might need to stay in the hospital for observation."

I obediently nodded, not daring to refuse.

My brother was coming back tomorrow, and I didn't want any trouble with Preston, so I decided to keep it low-key before he got here.

Just as I stood up, Krystal walked over to us and announced, “Actually, my heart hasn’t been feeling well lately either, and the doctor also advised me to stay for observation.”

"Although we're not in the same department, this is the hospital affiliated with the Ellison Group. So, Preston, could you arrange for my room to be next to Alissa's? That way, we can keep each other company."

I didn’t want to watch their interaction anymore, so I followed the nurse toward the assigned ward.

But Krystal seemed oblivious to my resistance and followed us into the ward.

As soon as we entered, Krystal began to inspect the furnishings of the private ward.

“My goodness, Preston, you’re so good to your wife! Such a luxurious ward—it’s so comfortable!”

"But then again, she is the mistress of the Ellison Group. Everything here belongs to her. Not just the ward—even if she wanted the stars in the sky, you'd probably find a way to get them for her."

Preston gazed deeply at Krystal; his eyes filled with tenderness that even he might not have noticed.

Krystal pouted, casting a quick glance at Preston before turning to me with a teasing smile.

“Hmph, I think I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to stay single anymore. Watching how well you treat Alissa makes me want to get married too!”

“If only I’d said yes to your proposal back then… hahaha, Alissa, I’m just joking. You know how I am. Don’t be mad, okay?”

I looked up at Krystal and saw the look of satisfaction on her face.

To be honest, I didn't really know much about Krystal. I just knew that she and Preston had grown up together as a couple.

It wasn’t until high school that Krystal moved abroad with her family, and they lost touch.

I met Preston in college, and we’ve been together for five whole years since our freshman year.

Even after Krystal returned to the country, I only really knew a few things about her: she was Preston's childhood friend and didn't believe in getting married—nothing more.

Over the years, whether it was because Preston had protected her too well or because I was too clueless, I never thought twice about their relationship.

When I didn't reply, Krystal looked a bit upset.

“Alissa, are you upset? I’m sorry. I was just joking without thinking. I’ve known Preston for so many years, and our relationship is like that of siblings. I didn’t realize you’d be upset.”